Coming Home
by Kagedtiger
Summary: *The Thirteenth Year* Cody comes home after summer vacation, but the time away has changed him. *slash: OC/Cody*
1. Arrival

Coming Home   
Chapter 1 - Arrival 

  


  
**Notes: The movie "The Thirteenth Year" belongs solely to Disney, as far as I know. I do not pretend to own it (heck, apart from the money, I don't even know if I'd want to), and am making no profit from using it. This story contains slash, and it's entirely your decision whether to read it or not, so don't blame me for the content. **

  


  


They hadn't been entirely sure, at first, when to go down to the beach. 

Cody had said that he would be home before school started, but that wasn't exactly a precise time. So his parents had sat at home and waited and worried, until exactly one week before school was to begin. 

That night, Mr. and Mrs. McGrath were plagued by strange dreams of their son, willing them to come join him down on the beach. In their dreams they saw themselves, early in the morning, walking along the coast until they came to the place where the beach hit the rock shelf. And there was Cody, lying on the sand with his tail flipping idly back and forth. He looked at them, and smiled. 

After comparing notes the following morning, Mr. and Mrs. McGrath immediately followed their intuition and headed down to the beach. The morning was cold and gray with a light fog, but the brisk breeze promised a brighter day once the sun really got into the swing of things. Nevertheless, they both wore jackets against the chill. 

Reaching the sand, they were only mildly surprised to see Jess and Sam waiting there as well. 

"Hello Mr. and Mrs. McGrath," said Sam politely. 

"Dreams?" asked Jess, without preamble and with a rather knowing look. "Us too." He indicated Sam. "If the timing is exact to what he sent, he should be here any minute." 

As one, the four of them turned to watch the water. Suddenly, as if waiting for that signal, a tail appeared above the waves, showing briefly before disappearing back under. It rose again, closer this time. The third time it was shallow enough that Cody's head peaked above the waves. He was grinning. 

Jess and Mr. McGrath waded into the water and helped to pull him ashore. He sat above the tideline, smiling happily at the lot of them. "Did you miss me?" he asked with a chuckle. 

Mrs. McGrath knelt down and hugged him tightly. He had grown a bit over the summer, she thought. "You know we did," she said, through what sounded suspicously like tears. 

Mr. McGrath hugged him next, followed by Jess. Sam stooped down last, and looked into his eyes. "I really missed you Cody," she said, and leaned in to kiss him gently. 

He didn't respond. 

Slightly uncertain, Sam pulled back, recovering quickly and plastering on a bright smile. 

"I missed you all too," Cody said, turning to look at his parents. They smiled happily, a bit giddy at having their son back. 

Cody looked down at the fins on his forearms. "My mother gave me this spell," he commented, ignoring the widening eyes of the others. "It should make it so that when I dry off, my Undersea half disappears. I can't completely submerge myself underwater though, or it will reappear again immediately, and I'll have to dry off again. Which means no swim team." He frowned slightly. "Of course, that shouldn't matter, I think I got enough swimming in Undersea." 

"If you just need to dry off, then this might help," commented his father, handing him a towel that they had brought along. 

Cody accepted it gratefully and went to work sponging the moisture off of his scales. As the water left them, the shimmering blue patches shrank and receded, leaving behind skin that was pale, and very much human. 

Cody was very quickly human again, and wrapped the towel around his waist to preserve his modesty. Mr. McGrath gave him a hand, and he stood up. 

"Whoah!" Immediately he wobbled unsteadily, and almost fell over. His father caught him though, and steadied him until he regained his footing. 

Cody laughed sheepishly. "I guess I've gotten unused to walking." Nevertheless, he tried a few tentative steps, and managed them without too much difficulty. He smiled happily, and together with his family and friends, walked home. 

  


  


  


  


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Please sir, I'd like some more.   
or   
Take a risk and feed the tiger. 


	2. Return to the Real World

Coming Home   
Chapter 2 - Return to Real World 

  


  


There was a strange feeling of awkwardness around his parents, Cody thought. 

He had said goodbye to Sam and Jess when they reached his house, promising them both a detailed report later. It had seemed strange, showing up at his old house. Nothing had changed, and yet everything seemed so different. So much had happened to him over the Summer. He didn't know how he could explain, how he could reconnect with the people who had raised him for the first thirteen years of his life. 

"So," said his mother, sitting next to him on the couch. "Did you make any merpeople friends?" 

Cody smiled. Well, it was a place to start. "Before I answer that, I think I should give you guys a little lesson in terminology. I learned a lot down there. First of all, 'merpeople' is kind of a slang term. Technically, it's Sea People. Or Atlantians, if you're old-fashioned. And a while a female is a mermaid, a male is not a merman. Guys are called Tritons." 

Cody's parents grinned at each other. "Well then, did you make any Atlantian friends?" his mother asked, correcting herself. 

Cody thought about his arrival. He thought about the strange looks, the ridiculing, the hushed murmurs of "Overlander". He thought of his mother, trying her very best to defend him, succeeding in swaying the attitudes of many of the elders, but able to do nothing about his peers. He thought of Kelhan, latching immediately onto someone else who was different, seeming to care more than anyone else ever had, and for no particular reason. 

Kelhan, the champion showfighter who won friends instantly, and who finally managed to bring around even some of the more bloody-minded sea people, until Cody was at least accepted, and even well-liked by some. 

"I did," he said in answer to his mother's question. "It was tough at first, but I met someone really special who managed to make my transition a little bit easier." 

"Oh?" His father raised an eyebrow inquiringly. 

'Tread carefully,' Cody reminded himself. "Yeah. His name is Kelhan. He's my Best Friend down there," he said out loud. Right. Friend. And he had been at first. But he was much more than that now. 

His mother clapped her hand together. "That's great Cody! So tell us, what's life like down there?" 

How on earth to describe it? "Well... it's a lot more mobile, for one thing. There aren't really any conventional buildings, or no permanent ones, at any rate. Most sea people have territories, but it's a very nomadic existance. You wander around from place to place. There are general meeting places though. And I attended something resembling a school." 

His parents looked curious. "It's nothing as structured as what we have here, but it's sort of an informal sharing of knowledge by one of the elders. It's not regular, and generally not announced ahead of time. It usually ends up being pretty impromptu and spontaneous, actually." 

"Sounds like you really got into the swing of things," his mother commented. 

Cody nodded. "I did." He stopped. This was even harder than he had thought it would be. All of a sudden things just felt awkward. He was an outsider. It made sense of course; he wasn't even the same species as these people. And yet... they were his parents, weren't they? They were supposed to protect him and love him no matter what. 

He looked into their faces and found honest interest there, as well as a constant undercurrent of joy. They had their son back. 

Cody smiled. So maybe he just needed to trust them. 

  


  


  


  


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Please sir, I'd like some more.   
or   
Take a risk and feed the tiger. 


	3. Secrets Unrevealed

Coming Home   
Chapter 3 - Secrets Unrevealed 

  


  


"You did promise, you know," Jess accused. 

Cody backed out from the tight embrace with his friend. "I know I did Jess, but you have to give me a while to get my thoughts in order. I just got back, and I can't really give you the best description right away." 

Jess gave an exaggerated sigh and sat down on the edge of the pier, dipping his feet into the high-tide water. Cody smiled at his friend's antics and followed suit. The cold seawater felt strangely reassuring where it touched his feet, a constant reminder that the source of magic was always close at hand. 

He had been astonished to learn, when he first reached Undersea, that magic was a common practice among sea people. Most, in fact, used it from birth. Cody was far behind, and hadn't managed throughout the whole summer to get to the point where he was totally comfortable using it. 

His first major problem had been getting over his human perception of magic. In most human lore, magic tended to be a sort of invisible substance that people used, but it really was nothing like that. Magic was a way of warping reality to suit the needs of the user. It seemed to Cody to be much more dangerous than the sea people treated it. After thinking about it often, the triton had come up with an analogy that he thought fit very well. 

If reality were like a giant cloth, a huge piece of fabric, then magic was simply a support, ranging from tent poles to bobby pins, that could be used to shape and move the fabric in the direction you wanted. Of course, the fabric would resist the movement. Gravity would make it continue to fall, so only the most complex series of stilting could keep a large portion of it at once. But it required little effort to, say, pin it in a swirl, or a series of folds. Such was the effect of magic on reality. 

These stilts, however, still needed a source. It was the sea people's bond with the ocean and all forms of water that allowed them the inner ability and mindset to shape the fabric of the universe. Humans could not achieve it. 

Jess looked at him sideways, apparently curious of his comtemplative silence. "You're different," he said eventually, "more thoughtful. It's not a bad change, but it's not exactly what I was expecting." 

Cody raised an eyebrow at him. "Oh yeah? What were you expecting?" 

"Oh, I don't know." Jess shrugged. "I guess excitement, or something. How did Sam react to your return?" 

Cody flinched slightly at the mention of her name. "Actually, I haven't been to see her yet. I'm kind of afraid to. I have to break up with her." 

Jess's eyes widened. "What?! Why?" 

Cody shook his head. This was going to be delicate. "I met someone. Down in Undersea." 

"Cody!" Jess's tone was admonishing. "You know Sam specifically told you not to fall for any mermaids!" 

"I didn't!" said Cody defensively. 

Jess looked at him sideways. "I thought you just said..." he trailed off. He still seemed uncertain, but the look on Cody's face must have told him that his friend didn't want to talk about it. The triton had his hands clasped firmly in his lap and was doing his very best to burn a hole with his eyes in the water about a foot from the dock. Hess put a hand on Cody's shoulder and leaned closer, bringing his face inches from the other boy's. "Listen," he said quietly, "You know you can tell me anything, right?" 

Cody nodded, looking up to meet Jess's gaze. "I know. It's just-" 

He was cut off by Jess's sudden surprised yelp as a hand reached up from the water and pulled him down into the ocean. He floundered for a moment, gulping sea water. Apparently he hadn't spent the summer practicing his swimming. Cody blinked, startled, and reached down to take a firm grip of Jess's flailing hand. With a sharp heave, he managed to pull the struggling boy back onto the dock, the move overbalancing him and landing Jess practically in his lap. 

"What was that?!" Jess spluttered. 

Cody glanced out to sea in time to see a shimmering black tail with mottled orange, red, and yellow webbing disappear beneath the surface of the waves. "That," said Cody with a resigned sigh, "would be my jealous boyfriend." 

  


  


  


  


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Please sir, I'd like some more.   
or   
Take a risk and feed the tiger. 


	4. Reliving the Past

Coming Home   
Chapter 4 - Reliving the Past 

  


  


"Come on," Cody said, talking to Jess but looking at the water. "Why don't we go somewhere a bit safer. I don't trust him not to do something like that again." 

He and Jess began to move away from the dock, but Cody cast a last look back at the retreating tail. _We'll talk about this later,_ he thought at the swiftly-diminishing figure. 

They walked in relative silence, Cody not wanting to say anything and Jess too unsure. Though they had not consciously picked a direction, they found themselves in Jess' barn. They seated themselves on a few old wooden crates among the mermaid paraphanalia, trying to find as comfortable a position as possible under the circumstances. It was beginning to get dark, and the barn lights had already turned on automatically. 

"So," said Jess, adjusting his box, "spill." 

Cody sighed deeply and rubbed his face with his hands. "It's... it's really hard to explain. I guess... you know what it's like to move to a new area?" Jess nodded. "Well, imagine moving to a new area, and being a different species." 

"But you're not a different species!" Jess interjected. "You're a sea person, just like them." 

"I know that. But you have to understand; while every sea person is capable of spending their first thirteen years as a human, very few actually do. It was as though I had spent my childhood on another planet. As you can imagine, it didn't go over well with my peers." 

Jess nodded, and Cody realized that he thought he understood. But it was impossible. There was no way that Jess could possibly know the horrors that he had faced. 

_"Hey merboy! I hear your mother cries at night because of what she let happen to you!" _

"Yeah. Is it true what they say about Overworlders? That they kill everything? Did they make you barbaric like them? Is it true that your mom has to lock you up every night to keep you from going on a rampage?" 

"I can't wait until you get a lover. I bet there'll be a string of them leading away from you, all bloody and beaten. I bet you won't be able to keep one more than a week." 

Cody shook his head, banishing the memory. "Anyway, things were pretty hard for me. There weren't very many of the elders who were prejudiced, and even those that were were okay about it, only because my mom is kind of important. But she couldn't do anything about my peers and they were merciless." 

Cody looked up at the ceiling, the memories catching him up once more. "And then I met Kelhan. I don't know why he was different. Probably he knew what it was like to be on the outside. But he accepted me. And Kelhan is one of those people who everyone loves, so he was able to introduce me to the right friends, and even gain me some level of acceptance." 

"What do you mean, he was on the outside?" asked Jess, his tone holding nothing but interested curiosity. 

"Well, he's... you don't have a word for it. You know how me and my mom have the same coloring? Sort of a light silver-blue with pastels?" 

Again Jess nodded. 

"Well," continued Cody, "the color schemes actually tell a bit about the specific powers that that race of sea people have. For me and my mom it's the electricity thing. Those who have mottled pinks and purples can shoot ink like squids. Greens and browns are camouflage, like an octopus. Now that's a creepy thing to watch. They can even change the color of their eyes. Their _entire_ eyes. Kelhan is black, with mottled fire-colored webbing." 

"What's that?" asked Jess, leaning forward, eyes wide and attention rapt. 

"Well, you know the guide fins on my forearms?" Cody gestured to the space where they normally would have been. "While most races have those fins stiff for manuevering, the black-and-fire like Kelhan have fins that can lie flat against their skin or be extended outward. The spines are hollow and filled with poison, and they have barbed tips. It makes them wonderful showfighters. But anyway, his race isn't very common in this area of Undersea. So he gets a lot of prejudice." 

"Wow." Jess blinked. "That's amazing." 

Cody nodded absentmindedly, not really listening to what Jess was saying. "Anyway, we became really close really fast. We were Best Friends for a while. And then..." Cody hesitated, stopping to gauge Jess' reaction. "Then he started to take it further." 

When Jess seemed only interested in hearing the rest of the story, Cody hurried on. "It's not as uncommon in Undersea. Having a lover of the same gender, I mean. In fact, breeding, or at least having large amounts of offspring is sort of looked on as... almost cowardly. It comes from the fact that prey fish travel in large schools, I think. But that's not really important. Once I started to understand how the Undersea culture worked, it seemed more and more natural. And Kelhan is also, well, like that." 

"Wait, wait," said Jess, holding up a hand. "Back up a moment. Did you just refer to him as your lover?" 

Cody blushed. "Sea people reach sexual maturity quite a bit younger than humans do. Age ten is relatively common. When I got there, I was one of the very few of my peers who was still a virgin. So to answer your question: Yes. Kelhan is my lover." 

"Huh." Jess sat back, looking thoughtful. "I guess that explains why you have to break up with Sam." 

Cody nodded miserably. "I'm not exactly relishing the idea though. She's such a wonderful person; I don't want to hurt her." 

"Sorry buddy, but I can't help you there." Jess grinned. "You know me, not exactly Don Juan. Can I ask you a favor though?" 

"Hm?" asked Cody. 

Jess grinned impishly. "Could you ask your boyfriend not to try and kill me again?" 

Cody smiled. "You bet." 

  


  


  


  


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Please sir, I'd like some more.   
or   
Take a risk and feed the tiger. 


	5. Confrontation

Coming Home   
Chapter 5 - Confrontation 

  


  


As he slipped beneath the waves, Cody felt the familiar scales envelop his lower half, clothing and comforting him. He kicked his tail once, turning himself toward the deeper ocean. He didn't have very far to go. Within a few sweeps of his tail he was within sight of his target: a shadowy figure waiting in the darkening depths of the water. 

_I can't believe you did that,_ he thought by way of opening. 

Kelhan crossed his arms defensively. _What do you mean_ me_? What about you? You were the one hanging all over that human boy! Was I supposed to just sit there and watch?_

_No, you-_ Cody sighed. _Look, Kel. Humans are a lot more physical than sea people. A hug to them means a lot less than it does to us. And quite honestly, if I had known you were watching, I wouldn't have done it. I knew you would take it this way._

_Well excuse me for being paranoid!_ Kelhan suddenly softened, and his mind-voice lowered to near a whisper. _I just hate this sometimes. There's this huge part of you that I know nothing about._

Cody swam up to his lover, and placed a hand gently on his forearm. _I know, and I wish I could change that. But you can't go doing things like that. Aside from blowing your cover, you could have seriously hurt Jess._

Kelhan blinked, confused. _What? How? I just pulled him into the water._

Cody hid a smile. _Kel, Jess can't swim._

_WHAT?!_

This time, Cody was incapable of conceiling his amusement. Telling Kel that Jess couldn't swim was like saying that he couldn't breathe. Kelhan could hardly wrap his mind around such a concept. 

_Some humans can't,_ he thought, shrugging. _I know it sounds strange, but it's not necessary for them. They just have to learn to walk in order to get around._

Kelhan peered at him, gauging his sincerity. _You're really not kidding, are you? That boy really and truly cannot swim?_

Cody shook his head. _No Kel, he can't. And I'd appreciate if you didn't do a second time something that could get a good friend of mine killed._

Kel pouted, seeming more and more like his old self. _Well, he deserved it. I mean really Cody, he was all over you! I know you said that humans are more physical, but... _that_ physical? It's kind of hard to believe._

Cody sighed deeply. _Sometimes I wish you could become human like me. I want to show you everything about my old world. I know you'd love it. It would be a total adventure for you._

Kel was oddly silent for a moment, and Cody began to get worried. A few minutes passed, and he was about to prompt his lover when Kel said softly, _Maybe there is a way._

_What?_ thought Cody, eyes widening in surprise. _Are you serious?_

Kel nodded thoughtfully. _I think I could manage it. I'll have to check up on a few things with one of the Elders, but... meet me here tomorrow evening at sundown, okay? If it works, I may be able to try my hand at humanity for a bit, and I'd rather you were here to help me. _ He paused and looked up at Cody, a mischeivious glint in his eyes. _That is, of course, if you don't mind._

_Of course not!_ said Cody enthusiastically. _Don't worry, I'll be here._

_Good._ Kel nodded again and turned to swim away into deeper waters. As he was leaving though, he thought over his shoulder, _I'm looking forward to learning how humans have sex!_

Cody blushed, but Kel was too far out of thought-range for a reply. He sniffed. That was just like the Triton. 

"Guess I better tell Mom and Dad to expect a guest for dinner then," he muttered under his breath. With a last glance in Kel's direction, he turned back to the beach to go dry off. 

  


  


  


  


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Please sir, I'd like some more.   
or   
Take a risk and feed the tiger. 


	6. New Experiences

Coming Home   
Chapter 6 - New Experiences 

  


  


--------------  
Author's Notes: This was originally going to be a Cody/Jess story, but I'm finding that I like Kelhan more and more. What do you guys think? Should I stick with the mer-boy?   
-------------- 

  


  


Cody was trying his very hardest not to laugh at the image of his lover sprawled dejectedly in the sand. Kel was pouting, looking seriously put-upon. Finally he sighed, threw up his hands, and rolled his eyes. Unable to bear it any longer, Cody burst out laughing. 

_What?_ Kelhan thought at him in a rather peeved mind-voice. _It's not easy! Stop laughing!_

With much effort, Cody managed to get himself under control. He crouched down in front of Kelhan and offered his hand. "Come on. It's just standing. We haven't even tried walking yet. Don't worry. Your legs will support you, and there's an instinctual balance that won't let you fall if you're careful. Now take my hand." 

Kel nodded, putting on an exaggeratedly determined face, and took the hand. Cody hauled him to his feet, putting a hand on each of Kelhan's arms to balance him. Kel wobbled for a moment, but stayed upright. 

"Now," said Cody, "let's try getting you to walk. Move one leg forward, then the other." 

Kel actually managed to get five steps in before tripping over himself and falling back into the sand. _Owwww! Man, being human hurts! No wonder your race is supposed to be so barbaric! They must hurt so much all the time that they're always lashing out at others!_

Cody ignored the comment. He knew Kel well enough by now to know when he was being serious and when he was pouting in order to get sympathy. "You're also going to have to start talking in words. Humans won't be able to hear you when you speak telepathically. Try it. It's kind of like humming." The Sea People could do that much at least. They had all the vocal equipment of humans. In fact, they had an eerie but beautiful chant-like singing that mostly involved humming. 

Kel tried it out, humming first, then opening his mouth. "Mmmmmy. Eye. Eye. My. Name. Aaaaaaaaay." He giggled. _I like that sound._ "Name. Muh. My name is. Zzzzzzz. My name is Kelhan. I am a ay ay ay Triton. Nn. Talking inging is fun." He giggled again. The concept of speech in sounds was new to him, and apparently he was thoroughly enjoying it. 

Cody watched him fondly. He had known Kel would enjoy this. He always loved new experiences. He sat down next to the Triton, smiling at him. "There are a couple of things that we have to discuss. First of all, I think we need to change your name. Kelhan is a very unusual name for Overworlders, but we do have a similar one. We'll call you Calvin, Cal for short. Sounds similar enough that you won't get confused, right?" Kel nodded, and Cody continued. "Second, don't play with sounds like that. I know you're enjoying it, but it's going to make you stand out, and we don't want anything to blow your cover. You have my permission to play with sound any time we're together privately, just not in company. And third..." Cody took a deep breath. This was going to be hard to explain to Kelhan. "Third... we have to pretend that we're not together. I mean, you know, romantically speaking." 

Kelhan's eyes widened. _What? But why?_

"Because, well, when romance occurs between Overworlders of the same gender, it's... well, most people don't like it. I mean, it's okay around Jess, because he already knows, and we'll have to tell my parents eventually, but other than that, I'd rather people didn't know. It will cause us both a whole lot of grief that we don't need." 

_Oh._ Kelhan looked dejected, and Cody could tell that it was real sadness this time, not his fake pouting. He leaned over to his lover and kissed him softly. 

"I promise I'll make it up to you," he whispered. 

Kel smiled his cute half-smile that Cody had come to love and held out his hand. "Pull me up, and let's try this walking thing again, 'kay ay?" 

Cody too smiled, then stood up, grabbing Kelhan's hand and hauling him to his feet. 

  


  


  


  


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Please sir, I'd like some more.   
or   
Take a risk and feed the tiger. 


	7. Meeting the Folks

Coming Home   
Chapter 7 - Meeting the Folks 

  


  


-------------  
Author's Note: I only have on major plot idea for the upcoming story. I'm running a bit dry. If you like this story and don't want to see it shrivel and die, feel free to make any sort of plot suggestion in your reviews. I won't guarantee I'll use any of them, but it always helps to have outside input and inspiration.  
------------- 

  


  


"Mom, Dad, we're home!" Cody yelled as he allowed the screen door to slam shut. He wandered into the kitchen, where his father was setting the table as his mother finished cooking. 

"Hey Cody," said his father. "Where's your friend?" 

Cody looked behind him. Kelhan was making his way slowly through the room behind him, leaning heavily on walls when at all possible. _I swear_, he thought, _if you even so much as giggle..._

_You'll what?_ Cody thought back. _This is my home turf, remember? I have the advantage here._ "He's coming," he answered aloud to his fathers question. "He's having a difficult time getting the hang of walking. But he'll be here in a moment." 

True to Cody's word, Kelhan appeared in the doorway a moment later, and Cody's mother and father paused in their respective tasks to look at him. Their jaws dropped. Cody grinned. 

Even as a human, Kelhan was gorgeous. He had wavy brown hair that came down to just below his shoulders. Spectacular coppery-red highlights kept the soft locks from being dull, and instead made them shine vibrantly, as though the boy had his own halo. The hair framed a lovely heart-shaped face with slightly effeminite features and drop-dead gorgeous soul-searching golden eyes. His skin was lightly tanned, though Cody was pretty sure that it had become more pale in his transition to human. He was used to it darker. 

Kel flashed a brilliantly white smile at Cody's parents. "Hello. I ammm nammmmed Kelhan." 

"Also," Cody interjected before they could reply, "he has, er, trouble with speaking. See, he's never really done it before, and he's not used to actually making sounds." 

Mrs. McGrath smiled. "It's very nice to meet you Kelhan. Cody's told us a lot about you. Why don't you boys sit down." She gestured at the table. "Supper's almost ready." 

Cody shook his head bemusedly to himself. He was amazed at how quickly his parents accepted and adjusted to the odd elements in his life. It certainly made things a lot easier on him. 

The two boys sat down, Kel following Cody's lead. 

"Normally," Cody informed him, "we'd eat with silverware. But since you're still adjusting to human life, I thought we'd go easy on you and I asked Mom to make sushi. It's raw fish and seaweed mostly, so you should be right at home." 

Kel grinned. "Thank you for that. Tuh. Considerrrrration." 

Mrs. McGrath smiled as she set the serving plate down on the table. "You're very welcome Kelhan. Any idea how long you'll be staying with us?" 

Kel looked at Cody quizzically. They hadn't decided. 

"Well," said Cody thoughtfully. "Give him a day or two to get used to Overworld life. Then we'll see if he still wants to stay." He grinned at Kel. If he knew the Triton, he wouldn't be able to pry the boy away after a few hours. 

Kel nodded enthusiastically, and the family dug in to the sushi. 

Later, Cody showed Kel his bedroom, where they would be sleeping. Cody's mother had helpfully layed out a mattress for the visiting Triton to sleep on. 

"See Kel," Cody explained, "we sleep lying down. In these. They're called beds. My mom set out one for you, but that's because she doesn't know that we're together. You can share my bed with me. That's what humans do when they're a couple." 

Kel moved forward almost cautiously and poked the bed. He sat down gingerly, bouncing a little, and blinked. "Humans lie down to sleep?" 

Cody nodded and lied down in a visual demonstration. Kel grinned and flopped over next to him, snuggling up close. Cody chuckled. "Don't go to sleep yet Kel. One of the benefits of sleeping is that you don't have to wear clothes." 

Kel immediately brightened like a small child who had just been offered a toy. "Really?" Cody knew that Kel had hated wearing clothing from the moment he'd first put on a pair of shorts. The Triton eagerly shucked his gear, and Cody followed suit more sedately. 

When they were both nude they lied down again and Cody pulled the blankets up around them. Kel shivered in excitement over the newness of everything and once again clung to his lover. 

"Cody," he whined piteously, "now will you teach me how humans have sex?" 

Cody smiled, giving Kel a gentle kiss. "With pleasure." 

  


  


  


  


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Please sir, I'd like some more.   
or   
Take a risk and feed the tiger. 


	8. Resolving the Past

Coming Home  
Chapter 8 - Resolving the Past 

-------------  
Author's Note: I only have on major plot idea for the upcoming story. I'm running a bit dry. If you like this story and don't want to see it shrivel and die, feel free to make any sort of plot suggestion in your reviews. I won't guarantee I'll use any of them, but it always helps to have outside input and inspiration.  
-------------

Cody woke up gradually the next morning, the sunlight streaming across his face. He looked fondly down at Kelhan, who was half-sprawled across his chest and snoring lightly.

Cody yawned and grinned to himself. It was a good thing that his parents' bedroom was on the other side of the house. Kelhan, who had never had the opportunity to express sexual pleasure with sound had been rather... vocal, last night.

Cody shifted slightly, trying not to wake his lover, but Kelhan murmured slightly at the motion and soon he was awake as well. He smiled at Cody. _Morning._

Cody raised an eyebrow at him. Kelhan sighed theatrically, but spoke the words anyway.

"Morning. Ing. That was really funnnn last night. Tuh. We should do it againnn."

Cody chuckled. "Well, maybe we can. But only if you're really quiet, okay? My parents are..." Cody glanced at the clock. "-probably still asleep, and if you're as loud as you were last night, you'll wake them."

In an instant Kelhan had on his best puppy-dog expression. "I cannn be quiet!"

"Hmmm, are you sure about that?" Cody asked softly, a mischeivious expression settling onto his face. He rolled over suddenly, pinning Kelhan beneath him, and kissed the Triton mercilessly.

A good deal of time later, the two headed downstairs for breakfast.

Kelhan adjusted to human life with remarkable speed. Within a few days he had stopped playing with sounds, and he walked as though he had done it his entire life. It was after the end of Kelhan's first week above water that Cody decided to confront Sam.

"Now Kel," he told his lover firmly, "no matter what she does, you are to stay calm, got it? She still doesn't know about you and me, and she used to be my girlfriend. I have no idea what's going to happen, so you have to keep a cool head."

Kelhan nodded, but Cody could tell he was displeased. Taking a deep breath, Cody knocked on the door.

Sam opened it, smiling when she saw who it was. "Cody!" she exclaimed happily, embracing him tightly. "I haven't seen you since you got back! How are you?"

"I'm fine," Cody assured her. "But... Look Sam, we need to talk."

Sam looked confused, but nodded. Then, for the first time, she noticed Kelhan standing behind Cody. "Who's this?" she asked.

Cody sighed. "That's what we need to talk about."

In Sam's backyard there was a small gazebo sheltered by trees, and the three of them made for that. They sat on the benches and Cody took a deep breath, wondering where to start.

"This is Kelhan," he said eventually. "He's a triton. You know, a merman like me. I met him in Undersea. Kelhan is, he's..." Cody faltered. This was harder to say than he thought it would be. Suddenly however, he felt a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Though he was offering Cody his comforting touch, Kelhan kept his gaze steadily on Sam.

"Kelhan is my lover," Cody finished in a rush. "Which is why I need to break up with you. I'm sorry."

Sam looked back and forth between the two of them, eyes wide. "What? But, you can't be. He's... He's a _guy_."

Cody winced. This wasn't going to be as painless as he had hoped. Ah well, it had been wishful thinking and he knew it. "Yes, he is," Cody replied, and turned to Kelhan. Grabbing the back of his head, he kissed the triton soundly to demonstrate his point.

When he turned back to Sam, her jaw had dropped open. But when she saw him looking at her it snapped shut. Cody saw a tear begin to fall down her cheek and immediately regretted breaking the news to her so harshly.

Sam stood up, looking furious despite her tears. "I hate you!" she yelled. "I never want to see you again!" And with that she took off towards the house.

Cody winced. "That could have gone better," he said.

Once again he felt Kelhan's comforting hand on his shoulder, and his lover's soft voice from behind him. "You okay?"

Cody sighed. "Yeah. I wasn't really expecting her to take it any better, I guess, but I was still hoping she would. Come on, let's go home."

Kel nodded, and the two set off back towards Cody's house.

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	9. Sudden Discoveries

Coming Home  
Chapter 9 - Sudden Discovery 

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Author's Note: What! An update! Crazy! No, I know, crazy! Hey guys. Sorry this took so long, but as I said, I really don't have many ideas. I hope to finish this if I can, but there might be more long waiting in store, just to warn you.  
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Cody checked his school stuff for at least the seventh time, making sure he had everything for the next day. He wasn't quite sure why exactly he was so nervous. Everything had been explained to the principal, after all; Calvin was a new foreign student, staying with Cody's family. Though they weren't sure how long he would be in the country, Cal's parents wanted him to attend school if he could while he was there.

'Kel will be fine,' Cody reassured himself, another thing which he had done at least seven times. There was no reason to think that anything would go wrong, never mind him bringing his _boyfriend_ to school, never mind the fact that Kel wasn't even human and barely understood how the human world worked. Well... maybe they could pass off his eccentricities as some quirk of being "foreign." Maybe.

"Cody?" Kel asked softly. Cody looked up; he hadn't heard Kel enter the room. The young triton closed the door softly behind him and came to sit next to Cody on the bed. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Cody assured him, putting a hand on Kel's shoulder and giving him his best reassuring smile. It wouldn't do to let Kel know how nervous he was. The visiting triton must have had his own anxieties to worry about. After all, _he_ was the one attending a school in a world he barely knew.

"I do not have to go to school with you if it will be awkward," said Kelhan.

Cody was slightly surprised at the offer; he knew Kel was dying to try this new aspect of Cody's life, the one that had made him come back to the Overland in the first place. Kel never backed down from a challenge, so his offer to curb his own curiosity was touching.

"It's fine," Cody said again. "We just have to keep kind of a low profile. And I still have to come up with some kind of good excuse for where I was all summer."

"You could say you came to my country," Kel suggested. "It's more or less true, after all."

"Yeah, but then people would start asking me what it was like, and we could get into trouble like that. No, don't worry. I'm sure I'll think of something."

"Well," Kel stood, non-chalantly shucking off his shirt and then starting on his pants, "I am excited to see this school of yours. Tell me, must we also hide our relationship there as well, or can I kiss you if I wish?"

Cody nearly jumped off the bed in panic. "No! Kel, school, more than anywhere else, is where we have to knock off the affectionate stuff. Try to not even touch me too much if you can help it. If people even think that we're gay at school... well, let's just say that bad things could happen."

Kel, now nude, frowned at him. "I thought you said that humans didn't really mind about touching?"

"Well, they _don't_, er," Cody faltered, trying to think of a good way to explain. "They don't care as _much_. I mean, human friends sometimes hug, not just lovers or family members. But you still don't hug strangers, and even guy friends tend not to get too physical, especially in public."

"You were plenty physical with that human boy of yours." Kel threw him the pouty lip, and Cody sighed; sometimes, Kel could be very difficult, and stubborn to a ridiculous degree.

"Jess is _not_ my boyfriend. He and I are close friends, but I wouldn't even hug him in public the way that we hugged when you saw us. People might start to say weird things."

Kel sighed, then flopped down onto the bed next to Cody. After a second though, he sat up and pulled Cody to him for a long, lingering kiss. "I guess we'll have to have extra physical contact now to tide us over," he murmured against Cody's lips.

"No objections here," Cody said with a grin.

Cody had his shirt off, and things were just beginning to pass beyond basic foreplay, when Cody's bedroom door opened. It took Cody a few seconds to realize what the sound meant, remembering that he hadn't locked the door, and a few more seconds of shocked horror. By then, it was too late to pretend that they hadn't been doing anything.

"Cody, are you-" His mother had stopped abruptly when she saw the two of them, and stood simply staring.

Cody rolled off of Kelhan, the small part of his brain that wasn't panicking having enough sense to grab his discarded shirt and tossing it at Kelhan, who placed it strategically to maintain his modesty. "Mom," said Cody, "this isn't what it looks like. I can explain."

She gave him a serious look.

"Ummm..." Cody looked back and forth between her and Kelhan. With a sinking feeling, he realized that there was no way he was going to explain his way out of this one. "Okay, so it's exactly what it looks like. But I- we were going to tell you. I swear."

His mother looked strangely calm, and Cody got the feeling that she was concentrating on taking deep breaths. "Honey, I think we should talk about this with your father. Would you come downstairs please? After you get dressed, of course." And she shut the door behind her.

"Shit," muttered Cody under his breath after she had gone. "Shit shit shit shit shit. This is NOT what I needed the night before school starts."

Kel looked at him curiously. "Is it really so bad?" he asked.

"It is if they kick me out of the house!" Cody could hear the panic in his own voice.

Kel continued to look at Cody for a moment, then turned to stare at the door. "They are your parents," he said, he voice calm and logical. "If they love you as they should, they will not care. And if they do desert you, we can simply return to Undersea. Everything will be alright."

Cody turned to look at him, surprised.

"What?" asked Kelhan. "Am I missing something?"

Cody shook his head, trying to get his brain started again. "No, no. I just... that's very logical. Which is weird, considering how little you know about this world."

Kel shrugged. "It is simply common sense. Would you like me to come down to speak with your parents?"

Cody nodded. "I think they'd want you to."

"Very well." Kel nodded and stood, heading towards the door.

"Wait!" Cody called from the bed. Kel stopped and turned to him with a questioning look.

"You should probably put some pants on first."

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